Lead Sales Estimator

Description

Location: Remote (if located outside of Michigan) or Hybrid (If located in Michigan)

Department: Engineering
Reports To: Engineering Manager
Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

About Federated Service Solutions

Federated Service Solutions helps national customers execute complex technology installations and rollouts. Our work includes low-voltage systems, network infrastructure, camera systems, telematics, and other technologies our customers rely on to operate effectively.

We expect people to take ownership, communicate clearly, follow through on commitments, and address issues before they become larger problems. This is a role for someone who takes pride in getting the details right while keeping the customer’s broader success in view.

Position Summary

Federated Service Solutions is seeking a Lead Estimator to develop accurate, competitive, and executable proposals for technology installation projects. This position serves as a strategic partner to Sales, Engineering, Operations, and Project Management by evaluating project requirements, developing pricing strategies, identifying risks, and ensuring proposal quality.

The ideal candidate brings deep low-voltage estimating experience, strong commercial judgment, advanced Excel skills, and a practical understanding of how technology installation projects are executed in the field.

Top Responsibilities

• Develop bid strategies for complex opportunities by evaluating scope, labor, materials, logistics, schedule, margin, risk, competitive positioning, and customer requirements.
• Participate in customer discovery and exploratory calls to understand technical needs, operational goals, site conditions, decision criteria, and commercial expectations.
• Own the accuracy and completeness of estimates and proposals, ensuring assumptions, exclusions, pricing, labor models, technical scope, and supporting documentation are clear and defensible.
• Partner with Sales throughout the opportunity lifecycle to shape solutions, evaluate options, clarify requirements, strengthen positioning, and improve the probability of winning profitable work.
• Research market conditions, labor trends, material costs, vendor capabilities, competitive factors, and emerging technologies to inform pricing and pursuit strategy.

What You'll Do

• Estimate low-voltage, network infrastructure, camera system, national rollout, and technology installation projects.
• Support telematics estimating efforts as needed.
• Review drawings, statements of work, customer requirements, and technical documentation.
• Build and maintain estimates using FSS Excel-based pricing tools.
• Evaluate labor, material, subcontractor, travel, freight, equipment, tax, contingency, and risk assumptions.
• Approve pricing, margin, and final bids under $50,000.
• Escalate larger or higher-risk opportunities for additional review and approval.
• Direct the Sales Estimator's daily priorities, workload, quality standards, and development.
• Coordinate with Sales, Engineering, Operations, Project Management, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Identify missing scope, risks, and delivery concerns prior to proposal submission.
• Support proposal presentations, customer discussions, and negotiations.
• Utilize AI-enabled tools to improve proposal quality, consistency, and turnaround time.
• Manage multiple active bids while meeting customer deadlines.
• Occasionally work outside normal business hours to meet firm proposal deadlines.
• Travel less than once per month for customer meetings, site visits, and project discovery activities.

What Success Looks Like

• Maintain an award rate above 60% based on total bid value.
• Deliver estimates that closely align with actual project costs.
• Meet proposal turnaround expectations without sacrificing accuracy.
• Support required bid volume while maintaining quality standards.
• Improve estimating consistency and efficiency across the organization.
• Develop the Sales Estimator's ability to manage increasingly complex bids.
• Protect company margins by proactively identifying scope gaps and risks

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of experience estimating low-voltage installation projects.
• Strong understanding of low-voltage, network infrastructure, surveillance, or related technology installations.
• Experience in estimating, field installation, project management, engineering, technical leadership, or solutions architecture.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, pricing models, and large bid workbooks.
• Ability to evaluate labor, materials, logistics, scheduling, margins, and project risk.
• Experience reviewing technical drawings, scopes of work, customer requirements, and proposal documentation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Valid driver's license.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines while maintaining a high degree of accuracy.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of estimating experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Information Technology, Business, or a related field.
• Experience estimating: 
  • National technology rollouts
  • Multi-site deployments
  • Telematics installations
  • Structured cabling
  • Network infrastructure
  • Camera systems
  • Access control systems
• Experience with AI-assisted estimating tools and proposal automation.
• Experience negotiating with vendors and subcontractors.
• Familiarity with market-based pricing strategies.